Growing Good Citizens

According to Troop 29 Franklin’s Scoutmaster, Mike McGuire, leading Boy Scouts is about moral fiber, “trying to create a good citizen, leadership skills, being a good leader and being a contributing part of the community, whatever that is whether it’s volunteering, helping your fellow scouts or helping at home.”
It serves to follow that his troop would participate in the annual Scouting for Food drive to help the Franklin Food Pantry. This year, the Franklin troop decided to hold the food drive during a different period from the rest of the nation’s scouts, to coincide with the Franklin pantry’s particular needs. The troop decided to hold the food drive not during the typical fall time period, but during February where the pantry donations could be lighter, but the community needs remain steady. Each of the scouts reached out to their neighbors at the end of January and then collected donations in early February. The troop was able to collect 400 pounds of non perishable items as well as paper goods and hygiene products.
“We are truly grateful we have such great support from the community, especially from the young people,” says Mary Georges, of the Franklin Food Pantry. “It’s a way to engage and pay it forward. We do get a tremendous amount of support from the community around the fall and the holidays, so we are asking folks to hold their food drives (during other times). Georges also notes that the Franklin Food Pantry’s involvement with the Greater Boston Food Bank allows it to purchase food at a fraction of the retail price, so dollars donated go a long way, she says, for the 504 Franklin households that the food pantry currently serves.
Boy Scout Brendan Ryan, 17, who began as a Scout in 3rd grade and who has actually earned his Eagle Scout with a project he completed for the Medway Community Church, looks forward to the annual food drive. “It’s definitely a satisfying event, because it’s just a good feeling to be able to help people I don’t even know but who will be impacted by we’ve done. This might be one of the larger turnouts we’ve had.”
McGuire, who’s been a Scoutmaster for two years and Assistant Scoutmaster two years before that, says his Scouts enjoy receiving a response to their initial flyers and seeing bags of groceries when they come the following week.
“The troop over all collected somewhere around thirty to forty bags of food,” says Scout Tyler Apicella. “The bags all contained multiple food items, so that is a pretty outstanding amount! This shows how everybody pitching in can create a big difference.”
12-year-old Addison Hardt collected food in his Pleasantview Estates neighborhood with wheelbarrows and wagons, along with his 9-year-old Cub Scout brother, Quinn. “Actually, I got the most food in my troop,” says a proud Addison, who says his Cub Scout den last year won first prize for how much food was collected. “It feels really good to be helping out other people,” says Addison.
Addison says that in addition to the service projects, he enjoys the monthly campouts. “We go on one every month,” he says. “Recently, we went on a skiing trip; we also did a hiking trip and we also went on a biking trip. It’s fun to try out new things. I didn’t know how to ski, and at the end of the day was pretty good.”
Tyler, too, enjoyed the ski trip.
“I was in Cub Scouts starting in first grade and I just crossed into Boy Scouts last spring. Scouting is full of adventure and excitement. Just last weekend a few scouts and I went on a ski trip, and now I am a lot better at skiing. I’ve learned to sail, canoe, and much more, all in scouting.”
“Honestly, I have nothing but good things to say about the scouting program,” says Brendan Ryan. “It’s a great way to experience the outdoors, when society is moving more toward using technology. And learning life skills, cooking, being prepared for everything – the life skills you learn from it are incredible.”
Boy Scout Troop 29 currently has about 30 Scouts, who have done a lot of service projects. They meet on Wednesdays, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School.
Boy Scouts is open to boys aged 10 years (having completed 5th grade) through 18 years old. You can find out more about Troop 29 at troop29franklin.com, or email [email protected] if interested in joining.